Material processing apparatus may include a plurality of conveyors for transporting aggregate or other material to or from the apparatus. Typically, the conveyors include one or more side conveyors, which extend laterally from the processing apparatus during use. A problem with such conveyors is that transporting or moving the material processing apparatus can be difficult or impossible when they are deployed. For example, when being carried by a transport vehicle, the material processing apparatus must fit onto or into the vehicle as well as complying with any height and/or width restrictions that may be applicable to public roads. To this end, side conveyors are often provided with a foldable support structure that allows them to be folded between the deployed state and a more compact transport state. United Kingdom Patent GB2351719 discloses an example of a side conveyor with a foldable support structure. A problem with the conveyor of GB2351719 is that it does not readily allow another conveyor, for example an auxiliary conveyor, to be mounted beside it.
A further problem with such conveyors is the susceptibility of their component parts to damage or failure resulting from, for example, the ingress of dirt during use.
It would be desirable to provide an improved foldable support structure for a conveyor that mitigates the problems outlined above.